Chapter 13
Corine
The night was supposed to be perfect. I had worked so hard for this moment—my first product launch since my return to the industry. A waterproof mascara and blush line that had already generated so much buzz. It was meant to be my grand comeback, proof that I was still Corinne, still the woman Allen had fallen in love with, not just a shadow of my former self.
I had invited some of the biggest influencers, models, and beauty moguls. My brand, Luxe Beauty, was making waves again, and I needed tonight to go smoothly. But convincing Allen to come along had taken nearly everything in me. He had been hesitant, his eyes filled with worry every time he looked at me. He didn’t say it, but I knew—he thought I was unstable, fragile, unpredictable.
“You’re in your second trimester, Corinne,” he had said that morning, rubbing his temples. “Your moods have been all over the place. What if something happens? What if you get overwhelmed?”
I had forced a smile, swallowing my irritation. “I’m fine, Allen. I want to do this. I need to do this. For myself. For us.”
He hadn’t looked convinced, but in the end, he agreed.
Now, as I stood in front of a room full of flashing cameras, shaking hands, and smiling at my guests, I felt invincible. For the first time in years, I felt like I was in control again.
Until I wasn’t.
It happened so fast. One moment, I was laughing with an influencer—Talia Reynolds, a beauty vlogger with millions of followers—and the next, she was saying something that made my stomach twist.
“I’m so glad you’re back, Corinne,” she said, sipping her champagne. “Honestly, I wasn’t sure you’d ever recover after... well, you know. The psychotic breakdowns and all.”
I froze. The air around me seemed to thicken. The chatter of the party faded into a dull hum.
Psychotic breakdowns.
She had said it so casually, so carelessly, like it was just another fun fact about me.
I felt my breath quicken. My heart pounded in my chest, my palms growing sweaty. I clenched my fists, trying to steady myself, trying to push away the images flooding my mind—my screaming, my crying, my son’s terrified face, Allen holding me down as I lost control.
Talia kept talking, oblivious to the storm building inside me. “It’s really inspiring, though,” she continued. “Like, to come back after all that. People were saying Allen was going to leave you, you know? But here you are, proving everyone wrong.”
I snapped.
“You don’t know anything about my life!” My voice came out sharper than I intended, but I couldn’t stop. “You don’t get to stand here and reduce me to a fucking headline!”
The room went silent. Heads turned. Talia’s eyes widened in shock, and she took a step back. “Whoa, I didn’t mean—”
But it was too late. The panic was clawing at my throat, and I could feel the ground slipping beneath me. My chest tightened, and the walls felt like they were closing in.
Then suddenly, hands were on me. Strong, familiar hands.
“Corinne,” Allen’s voice was low, urgent, but I barely registered it.
Another set of hands joined his. Natasha.
They were both pulling me away, leading me toward the exit, but my mind was spiraling. I could hear murmurs, whispers, cameras clicking.
“Damn, she’s still crazy.”
“She’s losing it again.”
“She shouldn’t even be here.”
Allen’s grip on my arm tightened. “We’re leaving. Now.”
He pushed through the crowd, his movements tense, his jaw clenched. Natasha was on my other side, whispering something, but I couldn’t focus. My body felt detached from my mind.
We barely made it outside before Allen snapped.
“What the hell was that?” His voice was sharp, cutting through the cold night air. “You promised me you could handle this, Corinne!”
I flinched. “I—I didn’t mean—”
“You humiliated yourself in there! Do you have any idea what people are going to say?!”
His words hit me like a slap, and my chest tightened. I swallowed hard, trying to steady my breathing. “I just... I lost control for a second, Allen. She was talking about—”
“I don’t care what she was talking about!” he snapped. “You let it get to you. Again. And now, this whole night is ruined.”
Tears burned behind my eyes. “Allen, please, I—”
“Stop.” His voice was cold. “Just stop, Corinne.”
Silence hung between us, heavy and suffocating.
Then, Natasha stepped in.
“Allen, that’s enough.” Her tone was firm, protective. She moved in front of me, shielding me from his glare. “She had a moment. That doesn’t mean you get to tear her down. You should be out there taking to the press not adding more salt to the injury!”
I looked at Natasha, my vision blurry. She was defending me, standing up for me. But there was something off in the way they were arguing, something unspoken lingering between them.
Allen’s expression shifted, something flashing across his face. Guilt? Frustration?
“You don’t understand, Natasha,” he said through clenched teeth. “This isn’t just about tonight. It’s about everything. I can’t keep doing this. So please stay out of it. This is between my wife and I!”
My stomach twisted.
Natasha exhaled sharply. “You think she doesn’t know that, Allen? You think she doesn’t feel it every damn day? She’s trying. You are a bad husband and she is my best friend so I'll always be here with her!”
“And I’m tired,” he shot back. “I’ve been tired for years. You know that! You've been here since day one,so you know what it is like to quit on someone.”
Natasha flinched, and for the first time, I saw it—saw the weight of something deeper between them.
I took a shaky breath. “Both you stop! Natasha, this is between my husband and I. I can handle him. Thank you tho. "
Silence.
She hesitated. Just for a second. But it was enough. She scoffed.
Allen ran a hand through his hair, looking away. Natasha’s lips parted, as if she wanted to say something, but she didn’t.
My heart dropped.
Something was wrong.
Something had been wrong for a long time.
And now, I wasn’t sure if I was ready to know the truth.